2019 - 1000-Word Challenge - Round 1

Genre: Fantasy

Location: An Underwater Cave

Object: A statue

“Fire!” the Captain shouted.

John pulled the line, and his cannon fired in unison with the twelve others. He heard their volley slam into the enemy ship, and then he heard the sound of the enemies’ cannons opening fire. The ship deck erupted underneath him. Splinters stabbed into him. He hit the water, air rushed out of his lungs. He swallowed salt water with a hint of blood. Something struck him on the head, and his consciousness started to fade. Deeper and deeper he sank into the cold embrace of the ocean.

He dreamed of his Rose. Her beautiful dark brown hair blowing in the summer breeze. Her lips, always with that sly smile. Her green eyes always so full of life. She held his son, or what he imagined his son looked like. The boy had her green eyes, but his sharp nose. Henry smiled at him, and John smiled back.

He woke in a cavern, drenched and bleeding, but alive. He coughed up salt water until he threw up. When he finally was able to stand, he could see that he was trapped in a small cave with a stone statue that dominated the center. The statue looked strangely life-like, as if the woman it depicted had only been painted to look like stone. She was beautiful. She was perfect, divine even, but her face had a look of sadness to it. He reached up to touch her face and thought he felt warmth from the statue for a moment. Then it was gone. He pulled his hand away, and a tear glistened on his hand.

Am I not everything you desire? A feminine voice echoed through his head.

Sailor. Oh, sailor. Please talk to me. It has been so long since anyone has entered my prison.

“Am I dead? How are you talking to me?” he replied out loud.

Oh, thank Neptune. No, you aren’t dead. But you aren’t alive anymore either. You’re somewhere in between. Trapped like me. I don’t know how you ended up here. You are the first visitor I’ve had in over a millennia. I’ve been alone for so long. I forgot what you mortals even look like.

He stared at the lips of the statue, but they never moved.

I’m going crazy. I’m dehydrated and hungry and probably about to die. That’s the only explanation for this.

Out of her mouth crystal clear water spouted, as if she were a brilliant fountain in Rome. The water dropped to the floor. The sound reverberated off the walls of the cavern like a clear, perfect note of music.

Drink.

He felt himself drawn to her lips, which now seemed puckered as if to receive a kiss. He drank first from his hands. The water tasted fresh like a spring from the mountains when the snow melts. It flowed through his whole body invigorating him. The music began to rise and fall, crashing in time with the waves. He drank greedily, slowly moving closer and closer to those lips that begged to be kissed. He looked into the statue’s eyes, and they seemed to flash with the green of Rose’s eyes. He even smelled the lilac perfume that she loved to wear. He put his hand on her cheek and leaned in to kiss his Rose. She placed her hand behind his neck and pulled him closer. She tilted her head up to meet him. He brushed her hair back, and she smiled at him. The spell on him shattered, and he fell backward.

“What… what was that? What did you do to me? You’re not Rose. That’s not how she smiles.” he said.

The statue’s face now had a look of a pouting child, but it still had Rose’s eyes and the smell of lilac filled the cavern.

Nothing. Only what you wanted. You miss her don’t you? She’s so beautiful and so full of life. I remember when I had someone like that. Marcus, he was so proud. So handsome and strong. There was never a mortal like him. He might even have had a piece of divinity in him. But he never came for me. Neptune put me here to prove that my Marcus didn’t really love me. And I guess he was right. Marcus is long dead by now.

It sounded as if she was on the verge of tears. She even had Rose’s voice now. The sorrow of her left alone while he fought. The fear that he might never return. He reached out and grabbed her hand. Instead of rough stone, he felt warm, smooth skin.

“What can I do to help you? Can you get me out of here?” he said.

He put an arm around her shoulder and felt the deep shudders as she started to sob. He pulled her close to him and held her as she cried. He ran his hands through her flowing dark brown hair. She slowly wound down until her sobs died away. She looked up at him, a perfect replica of his wife, and she smiled Rose’s sly smile. She pulled him in and instead of stone, he met greedy, hungry lips. She poured her essence into him, and he fell to the floor as it overwhelmed him. He heard the faint sound of rubble hitting the stone floor.

Thank you.

He woke to the gentle sound of waves crashing against the shore. Gulls screeched overhead. He could feel the salt burning into his wounds. The summer sun warmed his eyelids.

“John… Oh my god, John is that you?” he heard Rose say.